Arthur D. Jones & Co. v. Eilenfeldt
Arthur D. Jones & Co. v. Eilenfeldt
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
— The appellant, a corporation, brought this action against the respondent to recover the sum of $280, alleged to be due it as commissions for the sale of certain real property. On the trial of the cause in the court, below, after a jury had been impaneled and sworn, the court sustained an objection to the introduction of any testimony on the part of the appellant, on the ground that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The appellant ^declined to plead
To entitle a real estate agent to recover from a land owner a commission for the sale of his land, the agent must find a purchaser able and willing to purchase the property upon the terms under which he is authorized to make a sale, or upon terms satisfactory to' the'owner, and one who> is ready and willing to enter into .a valid contract of purchase. It is not sufficient for the agent to introduce a person who is merely willing to take an option upon the property. Dwyer v. Raborn, 6 Wash. 213 (33 Pac. 350). Here the writings relied upon to constitute the contract of sale do not have that effect. At most, they gave to the person named therein as purchaser a mere option to purchase, which he could refuse without incurring any liability to. the land owner whatsoever. There was therefore no1 such sale as would warrant a recovery of commissions on the part of tire appellant.
The judgment is affirmed.
Peavis, C. J\, and Hadley, Anders, White, Mount, and Dunbar, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Arthur D. Jones & Co. v. Henry Eilenfeldt
- Cited By
- 9 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- BROKERS-SALE OP LAND-COMMISSIONS UNCOLLECTIBLE ON OPTIONS. Inasmuch as a real estate broker is entitled to a commission only upon producing a purchaser ready and willing to enter into a valid contract of sale for the property in the broker’s hands, a broker could not recover commissions upon a contract entered into between his principal and a would-be purchaser, by which the latter agreed to purchase the property at a stipulated sum, payable in installments, the first of which was to be paid upon delivery of the contract, which was left with the broker to go into effect upon the payment of the first installment of the purchase price, no time therefor being fixed, but the agreement being conditioned that, if such installment were not' paid on or before a certain date, the contract was to be returned to the vendor, since such agreement is, in effect, merely an option which the purchaser could refuse.